In a recent interview, Rooney Mara was
asked about the chemistry in Carol between herself and Cate
Blanchett.

Carol is based on Patricia
Highsmith's (under the pseudonym Claire Morgan) 1952 novel The
Price of Salt.
In 1950s New York, department-store clerk Therese (played by Mara)
falls for Carol, an older, married woman (Blanchett).

“I
thought you and Cate were so connected from the first time you see
each other in this film,” Steve Carell said in the interview for
Variety's
Actors on
Actors,
“and it's effortless and it's very, very subtle too.”

“Yeah,
chemistry is a weird thing,” Mara
responded.
“Obviously, the movie sort of lives and dies by – if we didn't
have chemistry, the movie wouldn't have worked.”

“I think one of the reasons me and Cate ended up having really good
chemistry on camera is because a lot of the relationship between
Carol and Therese was sort of mirroring real life in that I was in
awe of her and she is this magnetic creature. And so, when I was
looking at her as Therese, I really felt that way in real life as
well.”

“I was watching her every move and sort of clocking everything. I
think that was part of why it ended up working,” Mara added.